Yes , Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell really fought each other during that engagement scene in Episode 3 .
🚨 This post contains spoilers forThe DiplomatSeason 1 ! 🚨
Netflix seems to be on a roll lately. Less than a month after its very successful FBI thrillerThe Night Agentpremiered, its new showThe Diplomat, starringKeri Russelland Rufus Sewell, made a similarly huge splash.
So, to celebrate the new series, here are some behind-the-scenes facts every fan should know:
1.According to Netflix,The Diplomatdebutedat No. 1 on the streaming site’s weekly global Top 10 TV (English) list, bringing in over 57 million hours of viewing in its first weekend alone.
2.The Diplomatisn’t series creator Debora Cahn’s first outing with the political thriller/drama genre.
3.The show marks Keri Russell’s first leading role in a TV series sinceThe Americans— another series with heavy political themes serving as the background for a marriage story — ended in 2018.
4.Russellwas Cahn’s “dream” castingfor the role of Kate Wyler.
5.In fact, Keriwas all setto turn down the role because she didn’t want to do another TV series so close toThe Americansending.
6.Ultimately, Kerireally relatedto Kate and that was one reason she ended up saying yes to the role.
7.Cahn alsohad her eyeon Rufus Sewell for the role of Kate’s husband, Hal.
8.Cahn first had the idea forThe DiplomatwhileworkingonThe West Wing.
9.Attending “spy camp” forHomelandonly bolstered the idea for Cahn.
10.Russell and Sewelldid their own stuntsfor their fight in Episode 3.
11.In fact, stunt doubles were on set the day theyfilmedEpisode 3, but Russell and Sewell wanted it to “not look professional” so they elected to do the stunts themselves.
12.Cahndrew inspirationfrom Hillary and Bill Clinton for Kate and Hal’s relationship.
13.Kari Amelung, a former CIA agent of 33 years, consulted on the series.
14.She alsofindsthe couple’s use of humor to be realistic, despite how serious spies and politicians are often depicted.
15.This is Rory Kinnear’s second time playing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
16.In terms of the cliffhanger ending to Season 1, Cahnsaidshe wanted to “make people want more” and she also wanted “to bring together all of the different dynamics of the political relationships and the personal relationships in one event that splits apart all at the same time.” David Gyasi, who plays Austin Dennison, said he was shocked when he found out the ending.
17.The show was primarilyfilmedin London and the Cotswolds, though the scenes taking place in Winfield House — where the real-life US Ambassador to the UK actually lives — were shot elsewhere.
18.The actual US Embassy in the UK released a fact-check video aboutThe Diplomat, revealing what it got right — and wrong.
19.And finally, fans of the series will be happy to know that it wasrenewedfor a second season less than two weeks after its debut.
